Combined railway-track support and traction-cable and electric-conductors conduit



(No Model.)

J. H. GOULD.

COMBINED RAILWAY TRACK SUPPORT AND TRACTION CABLE AND ELEGTRIG GONDUGTORS GONDUIT.

No. 325,531. Patented Sept. 1, 18.85.

N. PETERS Pnnw-Limn m her. WnIhingWn. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. GOULD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMBINED RAILWAY-TRACK SUPPORT AND TRACTION-CABLE AND ELECTRIC-CONDUCTORS CONDUIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 325,531, dated September 1, 1885.

To a whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN H. GOULD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Combined Railway-Track Support and Traction Cable and Electric Conductors Conduit; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact de scription of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, in which- Figure 1. is a vertical section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, and Fig. 3 a plan.

My invention has for its object to provide a structure that will form a support or bed for railway-tracks, and also conduits for a traction-cable and for electric conductors,respectively.

My invention consists of two parallel tubes united by cross-pieces, one of said tubes being slotted longitudinally and forming a con duit for atraction-cable, the other tube having a man-hole in its outer side and forming a conduit for electric conductors, the two tubes together forming the support for rails fastened thereto or formed integral therewith.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A and B represent respectively two tubes of metal which are held parallel and in fixed relation to each other by cross-pieces O O. Said crosspieces may be bolted or otherwise fastened to the tubes, or be formed integral therewith. The tube A is slotted longitudinally on its upper side, as shown at a, for the passage of a gripping-lever to engage with a tractiontable running on pulleys a in said tube. The tube B has a man-hole, b, in its outer side to permit access to the conductors therein, and said tube may be divided horizontally into compartments b b b by means of shelves If, for the reception and separation of different classes of electric conductors-via, tele phonic, telegraphic, and electric-light wires. The man-hole b will be large enough to afford access through it to the several compartments in the tube B.

D and E represent railway-rails, which may be formed integral with the tubes A B, or be (No model.)

fastened thereto. The rail D is arranged in such relation to the slot to that the tread of the car-wheel running on said rail will cover said slot.

In laying the structure which constitutes my invention the ground will be excavated in two parallel channels to receive the conduits, leaving a ridge between on which the cross pieces 0 C will rest. The tubes A B, whlch are formed in sections of suitable or convenient length, are then laid in the excavation 6 and the sections fastened end to end,or jointed together in any suitable manner, as by bolting. The earth is then filledin over the crosspieces and around the tubes and the paving done, the tops of the tubes being on a level with the paving. As the tubes are fastened together by the cross-pieces they will not spread apart, and as said tubes form conduits and the supports for the rails the one tearing up of a street is suffieient for laying a railroadtrack, traction-cable, and electric-conductors conduits.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is as fol lows:

1. A combined railway-track support and traction-cable and electric -conductors conduits, the same consisting of two parallel tubes united by cross-pieces, one of said tubes forming a conduit for a traction-cable, and the other a conduit for electric conductors, and both said tubes forming supports for railwaytracks, substantially as shown and described.

2. A combined railway-track support and duplex conduit, the same consisting of two parallel tubes fastened to each other by crosspieces, one of said tubes havingalongitudinal slot in its upper side or top, and the other tube having a man-hole in its outer side, said tubes being adapted to support rails and atford conduits for traction-cables and for eleco tric conductors, as shown and set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of May, 1885.

JOHN H. GOULD.

Vitnesses:

B. DALE SPARHAWK, WILL L. POWELL. 

